GREAT FIRE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12273, 6 September 1904, Page 5

GREAT FIRE.

(By Mail Steamer at' Auckland.)

AUCKLAND, September 5. Victoria (8.C.), \ August 9.—Kindlydisposed Providence" alone saved1 Victoria to-day from destruction by fire. The start of what was tha largest conflagration the city lias ever known was in the casting room of the Albion iron works on Discqveiy street, where heavy pieces of machinery in moulds we-r*) being run. Fifty-nine buildings in all are in ashes, with a loss of perhaps 200,000 dollars. In the majority of cases the contents of the residences were saved, 'but tha insurance will scarcely cover 30 per cent, of-the loss. The workmen at the iron works undertook to -extinguish the flames on the roof arid copula.. There was a delay in turning on the alarm, until, with half a gale from the southwest raging, the fire had gained great headway, licking up the -boiler/ machine and casting'rooms; with1 ■'hundreds of 'valuable patterns." 'The flataes took a Curious cornenrfee leap of8 200 yards :across; the Shawnigan Lake Lumber iCdnip'any's yards and 'riiiils,' missing also "the Pioneer 'Sjaoa Mills arid.the Marge Victoria Brewery, and'then consumed a row of frame residential structures, nine -in number, on Pembroke street. Douglas street waa then crossed, and the residences thereon, from Pembroke td Pitnoess avenue, -were burned. The flames nest .wept up the south side of Princess avenue, missing only two buildings in tits entire length, .and next devastated the north side of Princess av_ enuo and the south side of Queen's ayen uo from end to end. The vacant acreage in large Mocks beyond Blaiicliard street on one side, _and Queen's avenu-a, together with the dying out of tho wind, saved the city, for, with a hydrant pressure of 26 pounds and inadequate hose, the Brigade was helpless.